Free Pattern: How to make a Polyester Houndstooth Scarf

I have received two last minute orders for Christmas scarves from friends!  So I decided to make a tutorial for you so you can make your own.  They have been very popular this year! 

Measure out 2.5 yard warps in each color.  There will be one set of 17 threads on the warp and the other set will have 12 threads.  Today, the aqua has 17 on the warp board, or 34 total.  This accounts for 4 stripes of 8 threads each, or 32 threads, plus 2 float threads, one on each side.  The black was the less number today, and it went around 12 times, so we have 24 threads, or 3 stripes of 8 each.

I put the color with more on first, and then the 2nd color on after it.  I am using a #8 reed with 1 thread per dent, so it has an e.p.i. of 8.

Thread the heddles 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 with each color, making sure to start with 1 float and end with 1 float thread.

Wind on the warp.

Tie on the warp...

...and make sure the treadles are tied up as 1-2-3-4, 2-3-4-5, 3-4-5-6, 4-5-6-7, 5-6-7-8, 6-7-8-1, 7-8-1-2, 8-1-2-3.

Weave with the aqua first, or whatever color is on the outside.  Start with 4 rows of plain weave.  Then press treadles in order 1-8 with the one color.  Make a nice little hemstitch to hold the yarn together.

Do the 2nd color with the treadles in order of 1-8.  Then back to the first, etc.  While weaving, make sure not to beat the yarn in too hard.  Just place it into place, or else you will pretty much have a funny looking skinny rug!

When you get to the end, do the outside color last, and then 4 rows of plain weave.  Add another little hemstitch to hold it in.


Cut it off the loom, make sure the fringe is all the same length.  Twist it together, and viola!  You have a polyester scarf!!

The M-awl

It's a Man Shawl... so a M-awl for short!

Remember this scarf??

I loved the stripes!

 Here is the pattern:

The stripes aren't as apparent on the big project as they were on the scarf.  It's more of a scattering of color, which is cool... but I definitely liked the stripes!  

Here's a bigger shot of the whole thing.  It is very pretty and super soft!!

I actually ran out of black and didn't want to buy more black just for the last 1.5 inches, so I improvised with navy.  You can see it on the right in this picture.  However, in real life, it's not as apparent.  It's just that I used my flash in this picture and it picked it up really well!  I guess I should have spread out the navy yarn throughout the whole warp, but it wasn't that important to me.  I mean, this isn't going to be leaving the house!

But I think it will make Brian very happy... and warm!

The entire warp was actually free because the black yarn was given to me.  

That's just awesome!!  I love free things and good deals!

 So far, this entire shawl has only cost me $1.90!

Oh yeah!

That's just beyond awesome!!!

Bubble Gum #26

This is polyester scarf No. 26.

These pinks were hard to photograph because they were so bright and peppy!

When I was out and about one day, I was thinking about this multicolored yarn and thought to myself, I wonder what this yarn is named?  I figured that "Playful" would be the perfect name.  Then, when I went home and looked at the yarn, it was called playful!  Haha... I guess I'm really in touch with my yarn!

 Anyway, I think I have this picture down to the correct shade.

I love these scarves and I love how people love my scarves!!!  But I find relief knowing I have special order papers set up for the show.  I can't weave everyone a perfect scarf without some direction! 

When the show is over, I have an idea of where I want to go with weaving, but I also like the constant work the show provides.  I also like the focus it gives me, and the challenge to get everything done AND meet the expectations of all my people!  Sometimes I get some cool requests from people that stretch me as a weaver.  I like those kinds of jobs!  They make me open up my mind and really communicate with the person what they want.  It also helps me to be super creative!

I think in general though, I just love to weave!!!

Oh, and by the way, I got that pattern a few days ago WRONG yet again!!  So sorry!!!  THIS is what it's supposed to be!  It just didn't look right, and I finally figured out why!

It was from this scarf:

Finally, the both the pattern and the weave look alike!!!

PS.  I think I'm also liking drawing.  Here are my improved boxes: 

They are still a work in progress, but I feel like they are also coming along nicely!  My uncle suggested that I Try some shading, so these boxes have 4 different shades in them.  I think it shows the hollowness well.

A mistake in the pattern

There was a mistake in the Dominoes pattern that I forgot about, until now!

It's down here at the bottom.  I had made a note about it on my page before, but missed the note.  Oops!  I made an even bigger (and harder to miss) note for next time!

All better!  It's amazing how those few shots make all the difference.

It's so colorful!

So... I think I'm going to skip the scarf and make it into a table runner instead!  I know my mom would love this project!  She loves table runners, and this one is so cheerful and colorful, too!

I can't believe this yarn was dyed with kool-aide!

I plan to explore more kool-aid dyes later!

Pinwheel scarf it is!

Remember this yarn?

And remember this scarf?

Remember how we had enough leftovers to make a second scarf?

Well, we've decided on a pattern for the 2nd scarf!

And it's pinwheels!!!

I love pinwheels!!!

In fact, the #1 reason why I wanted my 8-shaft loom was to weave pinwheels!!

Pinwheels of multi-colors... 

  Pinwheels with zing...

 And I guess I'm not the only one who loves pinwheels!

So I'm excited to get started on another set of pinwheels.  And I'm really excited to see what this yarn looks like all woven up into pinwheels!

2nd scarf options

Here are 10 draft ideas I had for the 2nd scarf.  They are in no particular order, some have pictures that correspond with the draft, some do not.  Imagine the pink as the rainbow brights variegated yarn!

Twills:

4-shaft and 8-shaft

 

The next two are from the new book, Simple Weaves that I reviewed before.

 

 

 Can't go wrong with pinwheels!

   And of course, the original draft is another wonderful option!

 

2/2 Twill: The Classic Choice

 I'm starting to knock my knees on these woven bookmarks because the roll is getting so big!  Two sections of butcher paper have fallen off, so I'm down to my last section.

This is tie-up #5, and it's a 2/2 twill.  I like this tie-up a lot because the designs are so small and there are a lot that can fit in this tiny amount of space.  It's also very classic looking.

Here are some 2/2 twill bookmark pictures: 

 

I have a few more 2/2 tie-ups I want to explore on this warp, like hopsack, for example.  Sometimes it's nice going back to the simple weaves and exploring how neat they really are!  It's so classic looking... reminds me of some of my very first weaves!  I'm feeling a little nostalgic!